Magic Johnson says he wants to ‘call the shots’ with Lakers

Magic Johnson said he wants to “call the shots” for the Los Angeles Lakers, a week after it was announced he has rejoined the team as an adviser to owner Jeanie Buss.

“Working to call the shots, because it only works that way,” Johnson told USA Today Sports when asked what he hopes his role with the franchise will be. “Right now, I’m advising. I get that. But at the end of the day, then we all got to come together and somebody’s got to say, ‘I’m making the final call,’ all right? And who’s that going to be? “So, we’ll see what happens.” Johnson, the former Lakers great, said the decision about his role rests with Jeanie Buss, whose brother Jim has been in charge of the franchise since their f ather, Jerry, died in 2013. During the 2013-14 season, Jim Buss said he would step down after three to four years if the franchise was not yet competing for NBA titles again.

The Lakers, winners of 16 NBA championships, are 18-37 this season and a combined 65-181 during the three previous seasons.

“Look, Jim knows where we are, Jeanie knows where we are as a franchise, and so some decisions have to be made,” Johnson said, adding that he thinks his role will be determined by the end of the season. “I may only be in this role for a short term, I may be here for a long time. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. I can’t tell you that right now.”

Johnson said it will take two to three years to rebuild the Lakers into one of the top teams in the Western Conference.